Rediscovered by conductor Riccardo Muti, this melodious musical comedy in three acts of 1732 was Pergolesi's second opera. It's a colorful tale of tangled love in which three women resist their arranged marriages in pursuit of the same young man. Sung in Italian with English subtitles, this forgotten jewel sparkles in its 1989 period production. This DVD includes a booklet with full libretto (in Italian) by Gennarantonio Federico.

"Lo Frate seems to be a takeoff of opera seria, of which Naples was, in 1732, the acknowledged center. (Nearly all the castratos trained in Naples.)… The handsome revolving unit set echoes the curvaceous Neapolitan Baroque, with its staircases and stucco excrescences…. The three rival great ladies all have arias of emotion, and they sing them well (Amelia Felle is particularly affecting)…. The orchestra sounds exquisite."—Opera News